Stefan opened his eyes, and yelled furiously at the shocked Renee, "Do you think this is funny?""No, there really are a lot of little people on you, they're crawling around your hair now…" Renee said desperately as she pointed towards his head anxiously. "And there are so many weeds growing out of your head! Let me pluck them out for you…"After saying that, she really did start yanking on Stefan's hair lightly. "Don't worry, I'll pluck them all out for you! One, two, three…""This is getting ridiculous!" Stefan was speechless. Eventually, his anger subsided and was quickly replaced with helplessness. Leaning against the backseat dejectedly, the man allowed Renee to yank on his hair continuously as if he were putting up with a naughty child.'Fine, if she wants to play it this way, she can do whatever the hell she wants! I'd like to see just how long she will keep this act up!'With that thought, the two could be seen pressed against each other in the backseat of the car, as Rene
Stefan was awoken by her shouting, and sat up with a frown. It seemed that he had taken his shirt off as well. His tanned skin was exposed for all to see, along with his muscular build. It was as if God had taken extra time to create this man, blindly giving him the gift of charm since the moment he was born.The intimacy of their current state surprised him so much that he was wide awake in seconds. His eyes were locked on Renee as he asked, "What's wrong?""You scumbag! You know what's wrong!" Renee immediately grabbed a jacket to cover her body, punching Stefan on the arm. "You're such a monster! How could you do this to me?! Just look at my stomach! If something happens to me, I'll make sure you rot in hell!" She really had no idea what happened last night, but she could put the pieces together. She thought, 'A man and a woman half naked, cuddling each other? What else could have happened?!'"Wait!" Stefan forcefully stopped Renee from hitting him, trying his best to recall
The man looked completely serious."I'm sorry, I must've been possessed last night or something. I have no idea why I would do those things…" Renee's cheeks were still flushed. She didn't dare to look directly at Stefan. Her voice was soft. "If you don't mind, we can just pretend nothing ever happened. I'll pay you compensation, and you delete that footage. What do you say?"Stefan retorted. "Do I look like I need any more money?""Nope!""So give up on that thought. You should think about how you can compensate me in other ways instead. Otherwise, I won't be deleting this any time soon," Stefan said in a nonchalant tone. "What else can I possibly compensate you with? Don't get greedy here!" Renee sat up, warning Stefan. "I'll be honest with you. I have a video of your antics while you were drunk too! If you dare to leak that footage, don't blame me for doing the same! We'll just have to go down together then!"Stefan seemed to yield to her threats, and he didn't push her an
Stefan remained silent; lips pursed as he focused on the road.The car lumbered towards a ring road, with the vast blue sea surrounding both sides of the road. Everything seemed especially bright and cheery. However, Renee found this quite terrifying, not daring to move a single muscle. She wondered, 'What is he doing bringing me to the seaside? Is he still holding a grudge against me for biting his lips last night? Is he trying to murder me and throw my corpse into the sea?'"Hey, Stefan, calm down! Don't resort to such extremes, okay?" Renee said, sounding as if she was trying to manipulate her victim."I know I may have been inappropriate to you, but I didn't mean to! You're out here looking like a whole snack, and you were dressed so sexily!"You looked like an incubus, honestly! I just made a mistake that any other woman would make! So please just forgive me, just this once!"I promise I'll never make the same mistake ever again! I won't ever bite you even if you did everyt
"Oh my god, Stef, you're finally here! I've called you hundreds of times! You didn't even pick up a single call! Chris was that close to sending his special forces just to find you!" Xavier exclaimed. Waving towards Stefan, he had donned a dashing suit, with his hair neatly slicked back. Stefan, however, was expressionless and calm. "Doesn't the wedding start in the evening? What's the rush?""Of course, we're in a rush! We're his groomsmen! We have to welcome the bride, and we need to take a group photo together too! We have so much to prepare!" Xavier gushed as he impatiently dragged Stefan backstage. "Go clean yourself and change into a better suit! Your current look is too casual. It's like you're just here for a vacation!"As the two reached the dressing room, Christopher could be found facing away from the door, staring at the beautiful scenery outside the window. He was wearing a white suit, his dashing features enhanced by a light touch of makeup. His gentle and elegant
Having paced around the dessert section for quite some time, Renee began to feel her stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten anything yet.At the time, she was scarfing down a piece of mousse cake, as if she intended to join an eating competition. There was even still some cream stuck to the corner of her mouth, which made her look somewhat adorable.When someone called out to her out of nowhere, she lifted her head, and her eyes met Stefan's gaze that loomed over her.She found her current state rather embarrassing, so she quickly tidied herself up, putting on an elegant act. "They forced me to take this cake. I didn't really want to eat that much…"Christopher smiled, seemingly fond of this side of her. "Looks like our employees are pretty responsible… Don't worry, though—we've hired the best bakers, the best of the best, to make these desserts. They made sure to choose the ingredients well so it wouldn't be too fattening either!"Stefan's hands were snug in his pockets. He stared at R
Christopher continued showing enthusiasm in inviting the woman.Renee thought to herself. 'It is his big day. It'd be rude of me to kill his joy.'Hence, she decided to agree. "Alright then!"At the same time, she turned to look at the lovely desserts lined on delicate tin trays. She gulped as she thought. 'Goodbye, my delicious desserts. I'll come back to you for sure! I promise!'Stefan noticed this, making the corner of his thin lips curve slightly."Wait." Stefan turned to Xavier, who was starting up the car."What's up, Stef? Don't tell me you're not close with your ex-wife now, of all people?""I'm just a little hungry. Let me get something to eat." The man responded coldly and strode towards the dessert section in the garden.After a short moment, Stefan brought a tray full of different desserts. There were milkshakes, cream puffs, mousse cakes, strawberry pudding, and more.Christopher and Xavier looked utterly shocked, their eyes widening and their mouths agape.Xavi
The cream puff in Renee's hand fell, as her face was painted in a layer of red. She wondered, 'Is this guy okay? What the hell is he even saying?!'Stefan, however, looked calm and serious as he gazed upon her. "You said the same thing when you were biting on my lips last night, you know?"Xavier let out a dry cough, reminding them. "Oh my god, Stef, in broad daylight?! Rein in that wild side of yours, will you?!"Christopher smiled softly and added. "Could it be that you two have been pretty 'wild' with each other last night?"Stefan shrugged nonchalantly. "She's the one who was being 'wild.' I'm the victim here.""Stefan Hunt!!!" Renee yelled. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into thin air right this minute. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn't, especially with the solid evidence the man had on her. 'If this guy were to expose that dashcam footage out of spite, I'll be doomed!'Ah, whatever! I'll just keep quiet! I'm not going to fuss over such
Stefan got involved with Briar. At the same time, something seemed to be wrong with Renee and she insisted on meeting Justin's parents. In short, they were lying to themselves.Xavier found it ridiculous that they would break up and date someone else, when in truth they loved each other passionately and had gone through so much together. They were just cowards who refused to face their problems head-on."Well said! I agree." For the first time, Leia and Xavier shared the same thoughts on the issues related to love. Aside from Stefan and Renee, there were many similar examples. Leia was convinced Liam was doing the same thing. She couldn't understand why they had to hurt themselves like that. It would be better to make peace.Suddenly, Xavier turned around and looked at Leia passionately, and declared with utmost seriousness, "So, we can't do that!" Having his face so close to hers so suddenly, Leia's heartbeat quickened. She pursed her lips and stood up shyly. "You're nuts
Justin walked over and tapped his wristwatch. "It's almost time. Let's go.""Okay." Renee nodded, then said to Leia, "Just go home and take good care of Liam. Tell my brother and kids that I'm fine. I'll be back at Beach City soon.""Uh…" Leia wanted to stop Renee from going to Beach City, but she couldn't find a reason to make Renee refuse. Of course, Renee had to stop the program which never responded."Fine. Take care. Call me immediately if anything happens!" Leia, enlightened, decided to respect Renee's choices. She hugged Renee and sobbed, "I hope you'll pick happiness no matter who you choose to be with!""Of course. I want you to do the same." Renee hugged Leia firmly.Then, she got into the small private plane bound for North City with Justin."She left…" Xavier muttered. He watched the plane take off for North City as he sat in the lobby, feeling complicated. He felt sorry for Stefan, but at the same time, he felt that Stefan had brought it upon himself. Being on
However, Leia didn't believe that Renee would have given up on Stefan. Based on their night chats a while ago, she could tell from Renee's tone that the latter was still confused about Stefan and couldn't part with him.It wasn't long ago, but now, Renee wanted to marry someone else. It was abnormal."Yes, I did…" Renee coldly looked ahead and added, "I did just now.""What?" Leia's eyes went wide, and she didn't stop questioning Renee. "What happened just now? Nothing happened!""Let me be frank with you." Renee decided to be honest with Leia since Leia insisted on getting to the bottom of it. "Justin told me something the night he saved us. Stefan informed him and asked him to come to our rescue.""I know that. And then?"Leia had heard the same story from Justin. She and Liam kept cursing Stefan for being a dirty coward all night long. It was infuriating. Stefan didn't try to save his beloved woman, but made his rival in love do so instead. It seemed he had given up his belo
"What? You're going to meet his parents?" Leia cried in agitation when she heard that. She glared at Justin, then dragged Renee to the side to interrogate the latter."What's wrong with you, Ren? Why are you marrying someone else just after one night?" Leia pausing, finding her words odd, then corrected herself. "Oh, no! Are you going to remarry?""Justin is a good man. His grandpa was my grandpa's old comrade. Plus, his family is nice to me. And we survived this time because of the army Grandpa Baldwin gave me. I can't be ungrateful," Renee said, her tone calm and cold.Although it was ridiculous, Austin did give Renee that army as a wedding gift. She used that gift at a critical time, which meant she had accepted the Baldwin family. Naturally, she had to take her relationship with Justin to another level. "But…" Leia frowned, feeling that Renee was being impulsive. "But you were forced to use that army under that circumstance. It wasn't because you loved Justin that drove
Liam was an unruly rich heir who loved freedom, while Amber was a pure and ignorant young woman. It seemed they were a perfect match."Why did she suddenly give you a wedding gown? Obviously, she wants to marry you. Are you sure you don't want to say anything to her before leaving?" Xavier teased Liam, trying to sound the latter out.Everyone could tell that Amber liked Liam. Besides, it seemed like Liam also fancied Amber. If they parted ways, they might never see each other again. Their romance might end with a failure. What a pity! "There's nothing to say to her." Liam purposely looked aloof. "All I want is to get the hell out of here. I don't even want to waste another second here."Then, he strode into the airport lobby. Renee quickened her pace and walked alongside him. She looked at him, feeling sorry for him. "Are you sure you're going to leave like this?""I should long be gone." Liam kept his coldness, his tone impassive. "If I don't go now, I can't leave forever.""
The box contained a red wedding gown with exquisite embroidered dragon and phoenix patterns. The embroidery was meticulous, making the dragon and phoenix look lifelike. With such intricate details, it would take three to five months to complete."So, she was busy with this." Liam caressed the patterns, bitterness and disappointment hitting him hard. Amber was always busy these days and couldn't be found. She also didn't talk much to him. She claimed that she wanted to sew wedding clothes for herself and Mateo. Unexpectedly, she ended up giving the wedding gown to Liam instead.There was a card at the bottom of the wedding dress. Liam opened it and read Amber's note.[Liam, I only want to be your wife my whole life…but from now on, I won't marry anyone. I want to live for myself. I hope we can meet again when we're both strong and capable!]Her handwriting wasn't neat, and her grammar was wrong. Yet it showed her shyness, pureness, and firmness.Liam clenched the wedding gown t
"Wait, Mr. Osborne!" Hailey ran to Liam and tried her best to catch her breath. Then, she said to him, "Ms. Jenkins… Ms. Jenkins, she…""What's wrong with Amber?" Liam asked nervously. His anxious and worried expression showed that he wasn't indifferent toward her after all."Take this!" Hailey handed a plain box to Liam. "Ms. Jenkins is busy today and can't send you off. This is the gift she's been preparing for a long time. She wants you to have it.""What she's busy about? Is it troublesome?" Liam was worried about Amber. If she wanted to take over Benjamin's business, she wouldn't be able to handle it since the fort was a violent place full of fights. "It's something feminine. Please don't ask about that…" Hailey obeyed Amber's instruction and didn't explain much. She waved at Liam and added, "Take care. Don't worry too much about Ms. Jenkins. She'll be fine since she's Mr. Jenkins' only daughter.""What do you mean?" Liam held the gift with worry. "Did Benjamin find fault wi
Benjamin didn't play any tricks as he truly wanted to let them go. He had come to his senses and realized that Liam was sincere toward Amber, thus he wanted to let Liam go.Besides, someone else had instructed him to do so. It was obvious who that was.The Jenkins family would have closer cooperation with Hunt Enterprise in the coming years. Moreover, this cooperation would help them earn money easily. It would be ridiculous of him to give up those profits just to satisfy his wrath.Before leaving, Renee and the others sat in the pickup truck except for Liam. He stood at the door and kept looking around. He didn't get into the car for a long time."What's taking him so long? Why didn't he get in the car? We can't leave if Benjamin suddenly regrets it!" Leia said.She sat beside the window and lowered it, about to wave at Liam before Renee stopped her in time. "Stop urging him. It's still early. Nothing will go wrong since Benjamin agreed to let us go. You have to give Liam some
Macsen got up angrily and pointed at Renee. "You nearly got me killed by biting me! I didn't even make you pay for that, but here you are, trying to accuse me. Do you think I won't do anything to you?" "Of course you will. You nearly got us killed," Renee sneered, glancing at the glass of mulberry wine. "So, it's logical that you poisoned the wine.""No, I didn't!" Macsen raised the glass of wine and leaned backward to gulp it down. Then, he glared at Renee. "I'm not such a petty man!"Instantly, the air grew tense. Liam, sitting on Benjamin's right, tried to keep the peace. "Okay, stop bickering. Since Mr. Jenkins held this party today, he wanted us to bury the hatchet. We don't have to take to heart what happened a few days ago. The most important thing is to keep peace and come up with a win-win situation."Benjamin nodded and clapped. "Liam knows me the best. He didn't take the stab for nothing. At least I can see that he's sincere toward me, Gem, and the fort.""Oh, gosh!